Zhang Yimou's new film set for release

Renowned director Zhang Yimou's latest film Shadow, which won acclaim at the Venice Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival, was screened at a special event in Beijing on Sept 27.

The story set in Three Kingdoms period (220-280) is about a king who uses a "shadow", or a body double.

"I want to tell a complicated story which looks into thte complexity of humanity," said Zhang at the screening.

He also said that as he liked Chinese traditional black-and-white ink paintings, he adopted a similar technique in cinematography to create a unique aesthetic in his film.

The film will open across Chinese mainland on Sept 30.